The irony, of course, is that the former Lakers and Bulls coach was passed over earlier this season when the team fired Mike Brown and hired Mike D’Antoni.

"Phil, he texts me and he understands how it is to come off back surgery," Howard said, according to the Daily News. "He just said it takes a full year to recover, so you can't beat yourself up over the things that have happened this year."

"Dwight just doesn't get any touches," Jackson said. "They've basically eliminated his assets."

As if that point needed to be driven home, Howard failed to score in the second half of Tuesday’s loss at Oklahoma City, though he did pull down 16 rebounds.

Bryant has struggled this season with his back, 11 months after he underwent surgery on it, and a torn labrum in his right shoulder, leaving him to ponder what a healthy season might have meant to him and the Lakers.

"I said that plenty of times, but I don't want myself to be thinking so much on what I should've done," Howard said. "The harder I push myself every day to get better and get in shape, my body will respond. This summer, after the season, I'll get an opportunity to train and get my body right."

And yet, according to the Daily News, Howard has no regrets about returning in late October.

"I could've sat out the whole season and started playing now," Howard said. "But I felt like we had such a great opportunity. For some of these guys, the opportunity to win is very small. I just wanted to get back and do whatever I can to help this team."